Before Cold Feet, there was sitcom and there was drama. This 1997 newcomer straddled both worlds effortlessly and single-handedly seemed to create a new genre for its mother channel, ITV. Set in Manchester, the action revolved around three couples at different stages of the relationship development continuum. In the pilot Adam and Rachel (who dominated the plot) were barely a couple at all, Pete and Jenny were desperately trying to conceive their first child and their friends David and Karen were married with a toddler called Josh. This is one of those rare but delightful examples of a sharp-witted and sassy script being wedded in perfect bliss to the actors's performances (as long as Helen Baxendale, who is decorative but lacks timing, didn't grace the screen for too long).

Mike Bullen's comedy drama was about the human condition writ large, but although its six characters go through a life's worth of emotions in each series and the action consistently draws on elements of farce, Cold Feet never strays too far from the bounds of credibility. Initially James Nesbitt (Adam) and John Thomson (Pete) provided the comic core but, as the series developed, Fay Ripley (Jenny), Hermione Norris (Karen) and Robert Bathurst (David) all proved they had comic capabilities worth exploiting.

Series One begins with Adam and Rachel celebrating an anniversary of sorts. Adam, revealing a propensity for slushy romanticism, decides to make a song and dance about it with fairly disastrous consequences. It's this same romanticism that gets him into trouble as a charming but incorrigible womaniser in later episodes. But not before the couple move in together, explore their sexual fantasies and then watch as the shine of love gets tarnished by petty irritations and Rachel's intolerance of Adam's bad habits. Meanwhile after all their struggles to conceive, Jenny gives birth to baby Adam which leaves her and Pete exhausted and wistful about their long-gone social life. By the end of the series David and Karen have gone one stage further and tried marriage counselling after David started having problems in the bedroom department. This takes some feats of persuasion on Karen's part--one of David's defining characteristics is his constant worry about what other people think--but the yuppie couple do see some of the benefits in Series Two. Like all good drama, the series ends with a cliffhanger in the form of some bombshell news from Rachel, who is last seen boarding a train for London. --Emma Perry

Although its premise of three men, three women and their interconnected lives and loves may mark the show as a copy based on an American template, Cold Feet has slowly but surely developed into a masterpiece of its own. The third series delivers more of the same, but the script is so perfectly written and delivered that it feels like they could continue running with the same premise indefinitely and no one would mind. The performances are, as ever, sublime--particularly the trio of James Nesbitt, John Thomson and Fay Ripley--and the humour is relaxed and unhurried, leaving room for large amounts of drama. With this series seeing dramatic plot lines being developed for all six characters there is also a fair amount of suspense (the story of Rachel and Adam's wedding will have you on the edge of your seat) and the writers are in no rush to wrap things up, merely leaving you agog for the developments in Series Four. Newcomers to Cold Feet should not worry about joining the show late, as they will quickly fall into step with the ins and outs of this group of British friends.

On the DVD: With eight episodes split over two discs, there is little room for any substantial extras. The scene selection process is clear and concise and there is a rather pointless photo gallery. The standard behind the scenes footage is brief but certainly entertaining, not least the material surrounding the cast's location shoot in Nesbitt's home town in Northern Ireland--including a memorable drunken ride in a police wagon.--Phil Udell

The fourth series of Cold Feet marks something of a watershed for the six friends from Manchester. Previous series, punctuated with drunken bachelordom, mindless flings and wild stag weekends, give way to themes of alcoholism, broken families and divorce. It's also part-way through the fourth series that Jenny leaves Manchester for pastures new, thus departing Fay Ripley's hugely popular and instantly missable character.

As fans have come to expect, however, such dramatic shifts are handled with assurance, finesse and sensitivity by writer Mike Bullen. Everything from the script to the acting is in tune with the exceptional comic and dramatic standards set by previous episodes. Hermione Norris as Karen delivers a remarkable performance as her world tumbles around her while James Nesbitt maintains his perfect portrayal of Adam, suitably moving and hilarious by turns. There's also room for a new character: Rachel's bubbly Australian workmate Jo seamlessly enters the circle of friends, providing Pete with a new love interest.

As ever, we're left eagerly anticipating the next instalment, impatient for Bullen and company to tie up the numerous loose ends. Series 4 ends in a whirlwind of matrimony, marital dysfunction, a new arrival and all the indications that there's plenty to look forward to in the final series. --David Thwaites